"A guilty man set free on the account of another, is that justice? No that’s grace" Caleb & Sol

30 June 2012

HOW WILL THEY KNOW I’M A CHRISTIAN [PART 7]

John 8

What does it mean
to know
someone or something? “Know” by definition is to perceive or understand
as fact or truth; to apprehend clearly with certainty, to have established or
fixed in the mind or memory. See! It’s a
wonderful thing to have the ability to know something.

I know my wife and
what makes her tick and what makes her happy.

I know my children
in the same way.

I know where I live
so I can find my way home.

I know what I drive
so that I don’t get into the wrong van in the mall parking lot.

I know when my
birthday is so I know when you tell people ahead of time.

I know where I was
born so I know I’m Canadian

I know who my
parents are to look at or hear their voice.

I know what interests
me and what doesn’t

I know what I’m
capable of and what I’m not.

I know my sin and
my selfish desires.

On the
flip side……

I know my Redeemer
who saved me from myself.

I know Jesus is my
deepest and greatest desire.

I know that Jesus
is who He claimed to be.

I know so much
about Jesus because of what I read in the bible through the Holy Spirit.

So with that
understanding of the word “know”let me ask
you this question! What does it mean
to know…...let me rephrase that! What does it mean to truly know Jesus Christ? The bible says we
can know without a shadow of doubt…not even for a split second can a true
Christian doubt that Jesus is who He claimed to be. The word “know”is used 957 times in 889 verses. There is a lot that
we can know from the scriptures……for example!

WE
KNOW THAT GOD IS THE CREATOR OF THIS UNIVERSE “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Gen 1:1

WE
KNOW THAT THE TRUINE GOD JUDGED THE EARTH WITH A WORLD WIDE FLOOD “And God saw
the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on
the earth. And God said to Noah, "I have determined to make an end of all
flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will
destroy them with the earth.” Gen 6:12-13

WE
KNOW HE IS A GOD WHO CARES AND PROVIDES FOR HIS CREATION “Do not be like
them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” Matt 6:8

WE
KNOW THAT GOD SENT HIS SON TO DIE FOR SINFUL MEN AND WOMEN. “just as the Father
knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John
10:15

WE
KNOW THAT HE KNOWS WHO ARE HIS. “But God's firm
foundation stands, bearing this seal: "The Lord knows those who are
his,"…” 2 Tim 2:19

WE KNOW THAT HE PROVIDES A WAY OF ESCAPE FOR HIS
CHILDREN “then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials” 2 Peter 2:9

WE KNOW THAT GOD IS ALL KNOWING “for whenever our heart condemns us, God is
greater than our heart, and he knows everything.” 1 John 3:20

See other so-called
faiths under the title of Religion say Jesus was……

Michael the Arc
Angel [Jehovah Witnesses]

A Prophet [Islam]

Good Rabbi/Teacher
[Judaism]

Myth [New Age]

A Liar & a
Lunatic [the Atheist]

A crutch & hoax
[the postmodern world]

The underlining
theme each of these have in common is? They denounce
Christ as being God. But I’m here to
tell you they are completely off base and absolutely wrong.

Jesus is God in
human flesh displaying the love of God towards lost sinners like us.To know Jesus
Christ is to be radically changed forever. Paul washer said “It
is absurd to think that a man can believe in Christ, with his heart, and it not
have a radical affect on the rest of his life.”
~ Paul Washer. Jesus is here to
let us know that we can trust in Him alone, which brings me to our text this
morning. I want to leave you
with some
biblical truthsto knowing Jesus in
this portion of scripture as Jesus confronts the so-called religious giants about
how we can truly know Him.

TO KNOW JESUS IS TO
FIND COMFORT AND HOPE. [V12-V19]

We see some very
strong language here as Jesus answers the questions of the sceptic Pharisee’s. So! What is the
comfort and hope that we see in this passage? (v12) “Shall not walk in darkness, but have the light
of life” What
is Jesus saying? “Darkness” denotes: sin, sometimes ignorance
and unbelief [example the religious men standing before Jesus] Whether its sin,
ignorance or unbelief the message conveys the same truth about darkness [that
those who are in darkness do not believe in Jesus Christ]. Whether its sin,
ignorance or unbelief those WHO ARE NOT in darkness [born
again Christians] no longer walk daily in ignorance, [habitual] sin……………….
or unbelief because they continually walk
in the light of Christ found in redemption because He is light itself. “Light” in this portion of scripture is
referring to the same way the sun gives light to the earth! See what the sun
was to the earth, Jesus is to mankind. David said “For
with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.” Ps 36:9. John wrote “And the
city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it
light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings
of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut
by day—and there will be no night there.” Rev 21:23-25

The Christian will
not walk in darkness of sin, the world or Satan. Knowing that Jesus is our
light in a blackened world. As J C Ryle said
“he shall not live in doubt or uncertainty but sees the light that guides to
Heaven.” Take an obstacle course walking through it blindfolded
[stumbling into things because you cannot see] But remove the blindfolds on the
same obstacle course under the guidance of Christ and His supernatural light
and you will find then end. Look how he starts
the sentence!“He
who follows me” (v12) Who is the he?
Those whom have tasted the supernatural work of God found in the Gospel of
Jesus Christ our Lord. “Follow”means disciple,
soldier or sheep. This doesn't always
mean copying and imitating [though we’re to reflect Jesus at all times……. but
following also gives the meaning of trusting, putting faith in another
[another, being Jesus Christ]. Jesus said "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill
cannot be hidden.” Matt 5:14. Paul said “for at
one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children
of light” Eph 5:8. Brentius said “that
if man could continually follow the sun, he would always be in broad daylight
in every part of the globe. So it is with Christ and believers. Always
following Him, they always have light. It’s not enough to
gaze at the light and marvel…..we must follow it throughout our day. The Christian hope
lies in this truth and Jesus is letting us know that He is the light that
shines out of darkness. He will lead us
through the darkness of this world. And we can know that blessed truth today! Do you trust in the
Son as He lights your path home?

TO KNOW JESUS IS TO
BE ILLUMINATED BY THE TRUTH [V31-V32]

“and you shall know the truth, and the truth
shall make you free” (v32) It’s an amazing
thing that the God of the universe supernaturally gives us understanding to the
gospel and the scriptures by the Holy Spirit. It’s not your
wisdom that gives understanding. It’s not your
ability that illuminates biblical truth. It’s by the amazing
power of the third person of the TRINITY
[the Holy Spirit]. Paul wrote these
beautiful words to knowing the scripture….“Now we have
received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we
might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words
not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual
truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the
things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to
understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person
judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. "For who has
understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?" But we have the
mind of Christ.” That’s why Jesus
said “you shall know the truth, and the truth shall
make you free” (v32) “Truth”here is reference
not only to the facts surrounding Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God. But
also to the teachings that He taught! As John MacArthur
said “a genuinely saved and obedient follower of the Lord Jesus will know
divine truth and both freedom from sin.” As Jesus says in (v34) a freedom from the bondage of sin which can only
come from the truth found in Christ. The scripture
illuminate this wonderful truth into the heart of the newly regenerate person. It’s only by Jesus
and the truth of His word that a person can truly know Him whether it’s for: Redemption......Regeneration..........Sanctification..........Glorification. All this has been
made possible and known by the truth of Jesus Christ. And this is the truth
that will set you free.Do you believe the
bible? Has the Holy Spirit illuminated the truth to your heart, mind and soul?

TO KNOW JESUS IS TO
KNOW ULTIMATELY GOD [V54-V58]

“before Abraham was, I AM” This is a bold statement
because it literally means “I am God”and this
would have struck a cord with them especially after what Jesus previously said (v19) Jesus declared
himself to be the eternally pre-existent God who revealed himself throughout scripture [whether its Old or New] Even Abraham spoke
to Jesus when he pleaded for the people of Sodom. Moses at the
burning bush is the greatest of examples! Exo 3:14. I don’t need to see
God to believe God! Why? Jesus came and declared He was God and that He came to
save sinners. Remember what the
blind man, who now sees, said in his encounter with Jesus after he was
excommunicated and basically disowned by his parents in John chapter 9? Jesus heard what
they did and approached this man and said "Do you believe in the Son of Man?"John 9:35.....And his response to
Jesus’s question! "And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?" (v36). This is what I
don’t what you to miss! Jesus said "You have seen
him, and it is he who is speaking to you." And He said,
"Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. (John 9: 37-38). Jesus said these
words to the disciples in John 14:6-9 “………."I am
the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you
do know him and have seen him." Philip said to him, "Lord,
show us the Father, and it is enough for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not
know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. We know by what we
read in the scriptures that Jesus is God….just as the Father and the Holy
Spirit are equal amongst the Trinity.

I WANT TO STOP
THERE TO LET THIS TRUTH SOAK IN! I want to leave you
with few questions to think about for the week……….with the underlying theme though
Do you truly know Him? Has he given you
light which gives life? Has He illuminated
the truth of His words to you heart which sets you free from the bondage of sin
and this world? Do you believe that
He is God or do you believe that Jesus is some man as the religions proclaim he
was? How will they know
that I’m a Christian? By how you answer
those questions. Remember the
Pharisee’s thought they knew the truth, but all they had were swelled self-righteous
heads with knowledge that leads to morals and death. And sadly the
outcome is tragic! The bible says “I never knew
you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” Matt 7:23. Jesus said all who
come to me find light, rest truth and freedom from yourself …..but it requires you
to leave yourself at the door and embrace Him as He is……… “before Abraham was, I AM” The all-knowing,
sustaining, full of mercy and grace Lord
of the universe who came to redeem
sinful men and woman by coming in the form of flesh to show His love
for blind and hopeless sinners who desperately need Jesus Christ….the Light of the
world who came by giving His life for you and me. That’s what it
truly means to know him personally! That’s the gospel truth!

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Quote of the Week

"Radical obediance to Christ is not easy; it is dangerous. It is not smooth sailing aboard a luxury liner; it is sacrificial duty aboard a troop carrier. It's not comfort, not health, not wealth, and not prosperity in this world. Radical obediance to Christ risks losing all these things. But in the end, such risk finds its reward in Christ. and He is more than enough for us." David Platt

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Verse of the Week

2 Timothy 2:8-14"Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us toa holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.Follow the pattern of the soundwords that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you."ESV

Listen Up! Pastor's

John MacArthur says . . . " There seems almost no limit to what modern church leaders will do to entice people who aren't interested in worship and preaching. Too many have bought the notion that the church must win people by offering an alternative form of entertainment. Just how far will the church go in competing with Hollywood? A large church in the southwestern United States has installed a half-million dollar special-effects system that can produce smoke, fire, sparks, and laser lights in the auditorium. The church sent staff members to study live special effects at Bally's Casino in Las Vegas. The pastor ended one service by ascending to "heaven" via invisible wires that drew him up out of sight while the choir and orchestra added a musical accompaniment to the smoke, fire, and light show. It was just a typical Sunday show for that pastor: "He packs his church with such special effects as ... cranking up a chain saw and toppling a tree to make a point ... the biggest Fourth of July fireworks display in town and a Christmas service with a rented elephant, kangaroo and zebra. The Christmas show features 100 clowns with gifts for the congregation's children."Shenanigans like that would have been the stuff of Spurgeon's worst nightmares. And even Tozer could not have foreseen the extreme to which evangelicals would go in paying homage to the great god Entertainment. "

What does it mean to live a cross centered life?by Pastor Mike AndrewsWe as Christians know that there is only one road to take. The Bible say's "wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it" (Matt 7:13). Why is there so many people who profess Jesus Christ taking this road? (Phil 3:19) "Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things". The Bible say's the wide road leads to destruction. Which means eternally separated from a HOLY and Sovereign GOD. There is ony one road for GENUINE Christian. And it's the narrow road. A life that is: 1) Self denial2) Caring your cross daily3) Desiring the things of God4) Hating the things that God hates5) Submission and obedience6) Holy living7) Expects any kind of persecution.(Mat 10:22) and you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved(1 John 3:13) Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you.A.W. Tozer says "The true follower of Christ will not ask, "If I embrace this truth, what will it cost me?" Rather he will say, "This is truth. God help me to walk in it, let come what may!" (1Pet 4:16-17) Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?We must stand strong in the Gospel of Christ. Holding to His promise of eternal life.
1. A Cross Centered life never is ashamed of His Gospel, for which He suffers,
2. A Cross Centered Life is never ashamed of the name he bears (Christian)
3. Nor of the punishment he endures, but let US, as OUR Lord and Master did, endure the cross.

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." John Piper"Alan Redpathhad two daughters who loved to swarm him when he came home at night. As he came in the door one evening, his little girls ran to meet him. One grabbed his leg and hugged him with all her might. He snatched the other daughter up in his arms. The one squeezing his leg said, "Now, I've got all of Daddy." The daughter in his arms replied, "Yes, but Daddy has got all of me!" Perhaps the question we need to continually ask is, "Does God have all of me?" Alan Redpath

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Welcome Message

"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE") Gal 3:13. That's why as the great puritan once said "I preach as a dying man,to dying men. Richard Baxter...."